So! Recently when I needed to wake up in the middle of the night & get my minds on something much more wholesome n' nice, I finally caught up on the Pony Show! Who knew it only needed a horrifying nightmare to get me to actually pay attention to the show again! I'm so glad that after a dearth of quality in poor episodes like 28 Pranks Later & Applejack's "Day" Off we got some suitable episodes!

   Now that's the thing we adults have to remember, this is still a kids' show after all. Some stupidity is allotted, but there's a fine line to where even kids notice that they're being talked down to. There's a balance to ride there and we more than get that in:

  Pony Point of View!

   Good grief that was beautiful! There is though, that one point where I'm sure any adult will sit there and go: "No! Really?! Your friends who have drastically different tastes, different personalities & different lifestyles might have had different goals on your conjoined trip?! Wow! Them acting out of your expectations is just way suspect of sentient beings like them!"

   The entirety of this episode could have been easily solved if the gals had just stopped to consider the other two. Just like in 28 Pranks a little leap of logic is made to make everything worse, but here, it doesn't ruin the episode. Because the audience, regardless of age, knows we've been "That Guy" before.

 What absolutely sold it was how it showcased to us how each of Rarity, AppleYak & Poinky Poi view each other. And yes, I did that to their names just now on purpose.

  IF! I! MMMMIGHT ADD! You know, for an episode about sailing, this episode sure did sink alot of ships! And not just the one they were riding! A-hoo, hoo!

  In each of the mare's retelling of events, in their anger they clearly flanderized and generalized each others' personalities. Sure, one could say the best of us do this & it doesn't mean we love the target of our frustrations any less, buuuut... if they characterize each other as bad as this shows us, I'd say there's some bridges burned there. RariJack was blown out of the water, lemme tell you!

  Pinkie's view of Rarity still seemed reserved, unbearable perhaps but not an outright smear of her character like Applejack's story was. To AJ... Rarity is that one brunette in the slasher movie, you know who I mean. The Veronica? That one girl who literally can't go two sentences without reminding everybeing around her how rich & better she is and insulting them almost as often as she breathes. Pinkie sees her as a bit stiff & hard to get along with, but not bad enough to not hang out with or party with. Because that is so Pinkie, you know? She's not one to hold grudges, that would require an attention span! Hee! But to AJ... Rarity is unbearable at the best of times, even. From this episode it really does seem like the AJ-Rar dynamic they see each other as just incomprehensible extremes to the lifestyle each have dedicated themselves to. Pinkie sees her being maybe a bit rash and things leading to the point where the Cucumber Sandwiches get accidentally knocked over... To AppleHorse, Rarity is the sort to fly off the handle and toss the entire, freshly made tray of perfectly good food (WASTING FOOD! MY BIGGEST SIN!!) overboard because your filthy, uncultured hooves touched one of them and now they're "unfashionable." 

   I'm sure any of you who are the biggest supporters of Rarity know that she's quite a polarizing personalty of a popular pony personage. Far too easy is it for most depictions of her to paint her as the greedy or selfish one, almost solely because of that one time Discord made her lug "Tom" around. My heart-shaped-object goes out to you if Rarity is your mare, her's is definately an uphill battle if you want to protect her honor! But what I'm getting at is that AppleWhack is certainly in the half that is just, by nature, anti-rarity.

  And so too does this work vice-versa! Now, it has been clear since PP first noticed that she could be indirectly, somehow related to AJ that she loves her farm friend even more since that episode. In Pinkie's mind there can't be anything wrong with DappleFlank.... I mean, Applejacks Cereal. Yes, that. But even so, she did seem a bit bland in Pinkie's story. Despite the trouble, to Piggie Pie, AJ was just the most agreeable thing ever. I would even go so far as to say that Applejack didn't have a thought in her head that wasn't put there by Miss Pie herself! "Okey-Dokey Miss Pie! That sounds like a right neat idea you got there that I'll get on right this instant!" There was one undercurrent about Pinkie's story/thought process that I sort of caught... that maybe she thinks she's not the odd one, that it's everypony else that's acting all exaggerated or too slow in the head. Like she's the one with a Million-Mile-Mind & the plans for every party yet to come and everypony else is either an agreeable blank slate or a stuffy stick-in-the-mud. Am I saying she's selfish?...NOOoooOoOoOoo... but being selfish isn't the worst thing in my book.

   No, what really got me in this episode, what really glazed my doughnuts! Creamed my Eclairs! (...wait, that sound a bit suspect to anybeing else?...) Was Rarity's view of Appleplanking!

  Meet for our episode viewing privilege! Pirate Captain Applejack! The Salty Scourrrrge of the Seas! Arrr!

   I would likely have suffocated of pure mirth if some seagoing mammal of pale coloration had suddenly floated by and AJ felt the sudden urge to pursue it. That was some unquestionable great acting that totally made my night! But my point stands, to Rare-Bear, Applebutt was an obsessed villainess. There was nothing you could do, she was one hoofstep away from tying Rarity to a train track & twiddling her mustache in evil glee!   ...which needs to happen, get on it show designers!  In Marshmellow's story, Suspiciously-Well-Tanned-Horse's veritable bloodthirst for adventure was so bad that she was willing to ride head-on into a storm with the express purpose of endangering all their lives just so they could find some poorly-verified treasure. A storm, I might add, that doesn't seem all that threatening in the other two accounts. To Rarity AJ is just uncontrollable, she'll do what she wants if she has to trample you in the process to do it!

  So I've covered their views on those two... and now for our Precious Pink Party PPPony! (...darn, spat all over my computor screen there...) Now, Temerity seemed to think her a bit silly & irreverent, sure, but no worse than what Pinkie seems to be like most of the time. But, in an odd twist that kind of does make for a somewhat sad story of unrequited love... was AJ's view of Pinkie Cry.

  I'm sure AJ has had her fair share of being met with the dumb countrypony stereotype, if not her, than I'm sure she's had to defend her brother who doesn't exactly aid the notion. (His clearly first & only thought in helping his little sister... was to crossdress in an unconvincing disguise and get hit-on by an old, half-blind coot. I'm trying not to insult him, but a quick wit does not seem to be this hunk's forte. Don't worry, I'll be gushing about him here in a bit!) I'm sure FarmyPony is well aware enough of being called stupid, enough to never outright do that to anypony else... which makes it all the more hurtful, in my opinion.

  Now... it wasn't done bad. The second Pie comes into her story it's with a hilarious "Yah ready for fun? CUZ' AH DUN BROUGHT ME AH STICK!" It is humorous of course, but its clear that AJ thinks PP is short a few cards of the deck. Note that during her story... Pinkie's tongue never goes inside her mouth. Sure, like Derpy things elsewhere, it is cute, but that also carries with it a connotation of "not being right in the head." Do believe it was in AJ's story, and I could be wrong, where Pinkie decides to join in on the map-fighting just because she assumes its a game. That's... silly, sure, but not funny. Silly without funny leaves worry. Now, now, now, I'm not saying that Applejack thinks Pinkie is mentally deficent or a threat to everything around her every moment of the day, but I get the feeling that AJ wouldn't trust her to watch a bucket of water.

  So, in short! Good episode there! Rarijack & ApplePie shot dead, Pinkity still afloat!

 

    Where The Apple Lies

...was beautiful. And basically the Big Macintosh Episode! Like, I mean, entirely him in the spotlight, even if they don't say it! I can't be the only one who gets the Tingles whenever Mac gets to talk for a good while! Sure, it was another story over how Applebottom (That... really needs to be a mare's name. Peachbottom was used once but... we need Pear analogies too...or are these fruit analogies something too risque for kids? Forbidden Fruit, you might say!)  got to be on her Honesty kick, but it was the actual turning point in her life. Mac though...

   Why does he not talk so much? Well... he was kinda a mouthy little headcheese in his youth; talkin' ain't always the best option. Nor was he really all that shy before the trouble really hit the fan. Sure, you could ask why he didn't bolt upright or say something himself when the doctors came & got him, but... put yourself in his horseshoes. Were you in that ampitheater... wouldn't you suddenly decide to be shy the rest of your life?  I say this was a very rare Double-Moral episode. Learning to Talk Less, Listen More hit me a bit more in the sentimentality than the usual LYING BAD!! message. It's the best LYING BAD!! message they've ever done, but as how I'm putting that implies, its not a very subtle story.

  Oh, and I must put Big Macintosh+Fluttershy into my shipping folders. BugButt may not be the highest on my list, but I can't help but want to see her paired with the shy hunk!

  Oh... and in the category of Background Attractions...

    Anyone else notice the Shining Twins in the hospital?!!? Yeah, I know, could just be them waiting for their parents or something butstillrathertoocreepyforme!!!

   Oh... and... just one... teensy...tiny, little fact. Ditzy-Doo "Muffins" Hooves... was in the past, hospitalized, with her eyes bandaged...   I sincerely ask of you all. How is the internet not exploding over this?!  

      This plays into almost every creepypasta headcannon fanfic out there! Clearly, doctors have tried to help her but failed! Does this mean that there was some botched surgery to blame? Is this a callback to when they tried to "fix" Derpy? That maybe that voice change for that episode was really a side effect of the medications that made her eyes go straight for one day, but it made her more disorientated than usual, so they had to stop the dosage? This explains so much, yet leaves so many questions!! Those two or three mere seconds could have made any other much worse episode! I need to hear more theories! Comment in the section below! SomebeingstartathreadaboutthissoIcangetintoahypedrantaboutthis!!!

 

And, for the one I'm leaving to last for a reason:

  Eeeverything She Does is Maagic

  Everything she do just turn me on.

  Even though her past was rather tragic,

 Now I know my love for her goes ooonnn...

    Do I have to tell the story?   Of a thousand rainy days since he last left her,

      She puts up a big enough umbrella, but its always her that's getting wet...

 

                    *Sniff*... Uh, sorry. Bad habit of falling in love with villains. Seriously, look up that old song from The Police. I defy you to tell me that it isn't about poor Starlight Glimmer. Funny, isn't it? How in her debut episode where her forcibly carved niche in the world crumbled apart because somepony threw a bucket of water at her...

   Is this a good episode? No. Noooo... noooo...  Gosh, Mr. Writer. What was that other thing that this character did that seems somewhat similar to this tale of her encouraging others to think her way? Oh... right, I think it was...

   STARTING A CULT IN EQUESTRIA!!!

  *Wheezing panting as my eyes slowly uncross from rage*  You... would think, that would be a place she wouldn't want to visit again. You hear fans talk about the characters not learning lessons despite having been through this sort of situation before. Well, I dunno, committing basically a crime & mind-washing would sort of be something you ought to remember. Unless, Oh, I dunno, you happen to be a new writer who didn't even bother to read what the character was before you wrote your blasted story... you know what, looking this up right now...

  Michael Vogel. New for this season, but he's done episodes before this. I don't hold it against him.

  You want to know why?... Because that's exactly her character still. And also mine.

    I'm with her emotionally on every single step of that story. She's sitting on her bed before Spike comes in, and I know what's going through her head. It's magic she knows, and what's she's good at. She has no concept of this "Friendship" thing. Hang out with other ponies? Just... be there? How do I know I'm doing it right? What's the goal & rules? What will happen if I do it wrong? I don't want them to leave me like what's happened before...

   I understand her. I think that little joke about "Chillaxin' with Dash" was perfect. The joke was that it meant nothing to the best of ponies & its even more greek to poor Glimmer. Even at that very end scene where we're wrapping up everything neatly Glimmer is still looking around unsure what this whole "Chilling & Relaxing" thing is. I know, if I was in that moment I would have immediately screamed out "BUT HOW DO I DO IT RIGHT?!!?" Just... calm down, man.  "HOW DO I CALM!??!"

  Frankly, If this was still the first season with Twilight pre-alicorn, I can see her totally going through this same scenario.

    We've seen before that magic is a crutch to Glimmer (frankly, "starlight" sounds like a unicorn name from some other kids' fantasy novel) she goes to it like she would a right hoof. It's easy to believe that magic would be her go to for literally any question or problem. They even balance her out a bit in her powers by having her test & play with Twilight a bit before the show starts proper. ...But that's still inexcusable that that's almost the same magic that got her into this trouble in the first place... or so it would be.

  See, I dunno if many of you have noticed by now, and I don't mean to toot my own proverbial horn here, but I am quite an accomplished worrier! And as such, I'm also quite handy with rationalization! I've not looked at anybrony else's complaints, but I feel this is a huge dig to the episode I can expertly dodge around!

   She isn't actually mind controlling anypony here! She states that as she's flipping through the spellbooks. Which, I might add, as Twilight I'm sure can attest, isn't the proper way to spellcast. You need a stable mind to magic. Starlight here is desperately grabbing at her only toolbox for whatever applies because these ponies aren't doing exactly as she says & she's going to fail once again at something she doesn't understand or can comprehend. Consider this her Lesson Zero hour.   ...still excuses barely 15% of this, admittedly...

    But she says it's just a spell to make them "more acceptable to suggestions." Not mind control. It's much weaker of a spell, surely. I'll just tack this other one on to boot to make sure it works right... don't want to fail again...  Consider Pinkie. Sure, the others seem a bit wooden from the magic, but AJ is still spouting off family history & memories... even if Rarity's & Fluttershy's talents & common sense have gone out the window. Pinkie Pie still seems to act & sound like Pinkie Pie. She's just not going to do anything but what she's told. It's a difference in whapping them over the head, and pounding them into the ground with a mallet. It's still a "reformed villain doing villainous things" but she's doing it with better intentions. As if Twilight told her how to solve this friendship problem of two ponies arguing and she went to magic again to instantly make them love each other.

  Ya know... like what Cadence did that one time...

Or like how we test Applejack's honesty every now & again. There will always be that temptation to lie if it seems like its the healthiest route for everypony...

  My deep sympathy & enjoyment for this episode gets balanced out by the cheap dig at the fault in reformation. Kind of feels like, I dunno, the government should be keeping an eye on S.G.

  I give it a three out of five; still a favorite, but not all too good of an episode to begin with.

 

  ...    ...wait, my favorite episode is a Fluttershy episode! Wait! That's contradictory to all my posturing! Augh!  *frantic shuffling!*